Will at the Wall, while hidden motives contribute to UK minister’s ousting

November 09, 2017

WILL AT THE WALL

Tom Gross:Despite worldwide efforts by opponents of Israel to promote boycotts of the country, an increasing number of prominent people are choosing to visit Israel, and general tourism is also expected to hit record highs this year.

Above: American actor Will Smith, who is on a private visit, smiles for passersby at Jerusalem’s Western Wall this afternoon. Below, he poses with admirers in a shop in Jerusalem’s old city.

BOY GEORGE, DEFYING ABUSE

British pop star Boy George, launching his latest world tour in Tel Aviv last night, told the audience that he had chosen to wear a Star of David outfit at his concert as a way of telling BDS [boycott, divestment and sanctions] supporters to “F--- off”.

Boy George said he and his band faced “abuse” in Britain prior to his performance yesterday but they were determined to ignore it. “I love it here in Israel and it’s always a pleasure to be here!” he told the crowd last night.

He was joined on stage by three other original members of the band Culture Club and he also performed a duet with Israeli singer and Eurovision song contest winner Dana International. (Photo below, before his concert yesterday.)

Another British pop star Morrissey has included songs referencing Israel on his new album, including a track called “The Girl from Tel Aviv Who Wouldn’t Kneel” and another song simply titled “Israel” in tribute to the country.

The former Smiths front man is a strong supporter of Israel and has played many concerts in Tel Aviv. He once appeared on stage in Tel Aviv draped in an Israeli flag.

Morrissey has said that the more he is abused by anti-Israel activists, the closer he feels to the country.

Morrissey’s new album will be released on November 17.

HIDDEN MOTIVES?

Here is a short TV interview with myself from earlier today in which I speculate on hidden motives leading to Priti Patel’s ousting as a British government minister last night.

Tom Gross:

“Britain is a country where it is apparently now ok for (prime minister in waiting) Jeremy Corbyn to refuse to speak to Jewish groups, while being chummy with anti-Semites, Holocaust deniers and Islamists...

“There are those in the British foreign office that would hate the UK to show backing for Israel’s efforts to treat injured Syrian children, as ousted International Aid minister Priti Patel sought to do.”

“THERE WOULDN’T BE THIS KIND OF FUSS IF SHE HAD MET VARIOUS PEOPLE OF INFLUENCE IN BELGIUM”

There is concern among supporters of Israel in Britain that some prominent media including the BBC and The Guardian made it sound like Patel was trying to simply give money to the Israeli army, rather than to offer British assistance in treating injured Syrian refugees who have fled over the border to Israel.

Patel was forced to quit last night after she was humiliatingly ordered to return to the UK from an official visit to Africa, less than 24 hours after she had departed from London.

Patel, the daughter of Hindu Indian immigrants to Britain, was seen as a rising star of the Conservative party who could even potentially become its next leader. But she was detested by some in the British foreign office for her sympathies to Israel.

Patel had also been seen as a favorite of both the influential Daily Mail newspaper and of Rupert Murdoch, who owns the Times of London and the Sun. Patel was one of only two Cabinet ministers invited to Murdoch’s wedding to Jerry Hall last year.

Sir Eric Pickles, a former Cabinet minister who is sympathetic to Israel, told one British newspaper today: “I cannot imagine there would be this kind of fuss if she had met various people of influence in Belgium.”

THE BRITISH LEFT’S OBSESSION WITH ISRAEL-PALESTINE

Above is a short interview with me from last Saturday while yet another anti-Israel protest took places in London, with buses organized by the trade unions and others bringing in protestors from all around Britain.

Meanwhile there have been no protests for the 600,000 Rohingya Muslims made refugees in recent weeks by the military in Burma, which has had British arms and training and like Israel is another former British colony, and has been carrying out systematic ethnic cleansing and a scorched earth policy Meanwhile there have been no protests for the 600,000 Rohingya Muslims made refugees in recent weeks by the military in Burma, which has had British arms and training and like Israel is another former British colony, and has been carrying out systematic ethnic cleansing and a scorched earth policy against Rohingya.

Nor for the 160,000 Kurdish men, women and children forced from their homes in the last two weeks by Iranian-controlled Shia militia in Kirkuk.

For over two years now, partly using British weapons, the Saudis and other gulf Arabs have been bombing civilians in Yemen, leading to mass starvation and malaria inflicting millions of people there. There hasn’t been a single protest in London. And the list goes on...